“About 500,000 agency workers will receive the same pay and conditions as permanent staff under proposals to be published by ministers today in an effort to redeem a pledge made by government to union.”

“Temporary workers will receive many of the same protections as permanent staff because of the European Parliament’s approval of a new European Union Directive. EU institutions have battled for six years over the issue.”

“For three and a half years, Rebecca Ames helped British Telecom customers to connect up to broadband services. She sat alongside BT staff doing the same job but received, she claims, barely half their pay.

Ames, 34, was one of an estimated 1.4 million workers in the United Kingdom on agency contracts. Their terms and conditions could be transformed if a backbench protest by Labour MPs succeeds today in forcing a private member’s bill through to committee stage.”